Oil-purifying apparatus for hydrocarbon engines



J. A..WATSON. OIL PURIFYING APPARATUS FOR HYDROCARBON ENGINES.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1919. 1,431,346. Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

OIL PUMP CHABUHEIOR VACuI/M ma 5% MW zl7m w Patented ct. E0, 1922.

JAMES A. WATSON, OF SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND.

OIL-PURIFYING APPARATUS FOR HYDROCAR.BO1\T ENGINES.

Application filed July 28,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. WATSON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Silver Spring, Montgomery County, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Purifying Apparatus of Hydrocarbon Engines, of which the following is a specification.

It is commonly known that the lubricating oil of hydrocarbon engines rapidly de teriorates by reason of the admixture of gasoline and water which le'aks by the pistons from the combustion chambers. The water is chiefly produced by condensation of the burned gases, especially when the engine is cold. The gasoline is sometimes entrained with the explosive mixture and carried in liquid condition into the cylinders and sometimes it condenses out of the mixture when the engine is cold in starting. When a cylinder is not firing a part of the gasoline passing through runs down' its walls by the piston into the crank case. The result of the mixture of gasoline and water with lubricating oil is that the oil becomes too thih for lubricating purposes and if not frequently replaced with new oil injury to the bearings is likely to result.

The object of the present inventionis to provide an apparatus which will continuously tend to remove Water,- gasoline, or othermo're or less volatile'fluids from the oil, and preferably an apparatus which will operate automatically and continuously at all times when theengine is running. It is well known that water and gasoline will evaporate rapidly when exposed to a vacuum or to reduced atmospheric pressure, and in the apparatus embodying the present invention the oil, preferably in the form of spray, is subjected-to a vacuum or to reduced pressure, which causes the more volatile portions to evaporate and pass to the pump or other means for creating the vacuum, the heavy oil being returned to the crank case or other reservoir or directly to the bearings of the engine, as may be desired.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a hydrocarbon engine with which the present invention is incorparted; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the separating chamber.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicate the cylinders of a hydrocarbon engine, 11

1919. Serial No. 313,692.

the crank case, 12 the intake pipe or manifold, 13 the exhaust pipe or manifold, and 14 the carburetor. The engine and all of the parts referred to may be of any desired type.

Located in any convenient position in proximity to the engine is a separating chamber 15 through which the oil from the crank case 11 is circulated and in which it is subjected to a reduced atmospheric pressure or more or less perfect vacuum. The suction in the chamber 15 is preferably utilized to draw the oil into the chamber from the crank case 11 through atube 16. The oil passing to the chamber 15 is preferably heated to render the water, gasoline or other volatile matter in it more volatile and this may be accomplished by any suitable'heating device, such as the coil 17 about the exhaust pipe 13. The oil is also preferably conducted through a strainer 18 in its passage to the separating chamber 15. As shown in Figure 1 a partial vacuum is maintained in the chamber 15 while the engine is running by connecting the chamber by a tube or pipe 19 with the intake manifold 12 above the throttle valve 12*, the chamber being closed to the atmosphere.

As the pressure in the interior space 20 of the separating chamber is below atmospheric pressure there would be a constant tendency to draw oil through the pipe 16' until the chamber 15 became completely filledf The depth of oil in the chamber,

however, is regulated by means of a valve 21' connected to a float 22 which effects the closing of the valve whenever the level of the oil 23 reaches a predetermined point. The oil passing the valve 21 falls on a perforated plate or screen 24 and is broken up into drops or fine streams exposing a large surface to the action of the vacuum. I preferably provide a series of screens 25 below the screen 24 which successively break up the oil and expose large surfaces to the action of the vacuum. The screens 25 may be supported, as shown, from the screen 24 by pins or bolts 26' and the screen 24 may be supported at the joint between the upper and lower sections of the separating chamber as shown in Figure 2, and by separating the chamber at the joint 27 the screens and float valve may be removed and cleaned.

On account of the suction in the chamber oil. This is accomplished by any suitable pump 28 connecting with the return'pipe 29 which conveys the oil from the lower part of the separating chamber back to the crank case, as shown in Figure 1. Of course the pump 28 may deliver the oil directly to the bearings of the engine as is customary in motor vehicle engines or to any suitable reservoir. The pump 28 may be the ordinary circulating pump, but preferably it is a pump of small capacity which will cause the oil to circulate through the separating chamber rather slowly so that each particle of oil will be subjected to the action of the vacuum for an appreciable period while passing through the separating chamber. The oil pump, of course, is driven by the engine and operated constantly while the engine is running.

It the shut-oil valve 21 should fail to operate the tendency of the suction would be to fill the separating chamber and draw the oil from the top of the chamber through the pipe 19 into the intake 12 or other device for creating a vacuum. To prevent this I provide a float valve 30 adapted to close the inlet of the vacuum. pipe 19, if the oil rises in the separating chamber sufficiently to raise the float. lit the float valve 30 is raised the suction in the pipe 19 will aid in holding the valve to its seat, thus preventing any oil from entering the pipe 19. The float valve as shown has a stem 31 guided in suitable openings .n the screens 24 and 25 and the float valve 21 has a stem 32 which is simliarly guided. The float may also be provided with a guiding stem 33 passing through an opening in the step 34-.

It will be understood, of course, that the separating chamber is to be maintained airtight. The pipes 16, 19 and 2 9 are connected to it by any suitable joints, those shown be ing commonly used forms of pipe connec tions. A vacuum pump operated by the en- 'gine might be connected to the exhaust pipe 19, but it is well known that the engine cylinders operate as exhaust pumps and create a partial vacuum in the intake manifold which will generally be sutlicient for the present purpose by connecting the pipe 19 to the manifold. lt will not be necessary to have a perfect vacuum in the chamber 15.

When the engine is running with the throttle valve nearly closed the vacuum will be highly efficient, and at other times sutliciently ethcient to remove the more volatile substances from the oil. It is the purpose of the apparatus to keep the lubricating oil always in line condition by continuously removing the more volatile substances. it is well known that a moderate supply of water vapor will improve the operation of a hydrocarbon motor and tend to keep the cylinders free of carbon, and hence the dis-- menace charge of vapors from the separating chamber into the intake manifold will tend to improve the operation of the engine.

From the foregoing description the operation of the separating device will be readily understood. It will be noted that its operation is entirely automatic if the pump 28 be driven from the engine, which is the manner of operation preferred. By the use of this apparatus the oil can be kept free of volatile matter and its lubricating qualities preserved and by running the oil through a suitable strainer any grit or dirt will also be removed at the same time. llt is now customary to'remove the oil from automobile engines and replace it with new lubricant frequently, the used oil being thrown away, and this is a source of great expense which may be avoided by the use of the present invention. v v

It will be apparent that the withdrawal of water and gasoline in. vapor form from the oil will cool the oil, which is another desirable feature of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hydrocarbon engine, means for circulating the engine lubricating oil, a separating chamber closed to the atmosphere through which the oil is circulated, means for heating the oil in its passage to the separatingchamber, means for maintaining the separating chamber below atmospheric pres sure to remove volatile matter from the oil, and means for returning the oil from the separating chamber to its source.

2. in an apparatus for separating volatilematter from lubricating oil of a hydrocarbon engine, a separating chamber, an enhaust conduit leading from said chamber for removing vapor therefrom, an. oil inlet conduit communicating with said chamber, a float valve controlling the oil inlet for maintaining the oil at a substantially constant level in said chamber, a second float valve controlling the exhaust outlet, and means for withdrawing the oil continuously from the chamber. a

3. In a hydrocarbon engine, means for separating volatile impurities from the engine lubricating oil comprising a separating chamber having an oil inlet, an oil outlet, and a vapor exhaust outlet, in combination with means for circulating oil t "ough said chamber, a float valve to maintain a constant level of oil in said chamber, and a second float valve to close the exhaust outlet should the first mentioned float valve tail to operate.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

A. WATSUN. 

